If Napoli gets hot, Sox’ opponents could be in trouble

Thursday

Oct 3, 2013 at 12:59 PM

BOSTON — Of the last 10 World Series MVPs, four have played with the Red Sox at some point: Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell, Manny Ramirez and Edgar Renteria.Mike Napoli could have been the fifth.A catcher for...

Brian MacPherson Journal Sports Writer brianmacp

BOSTON — Of the last 10 World Series MVPs, four have played with the Red Sox at some point: Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell, Manny Ramirez and Edgar Renteria.

Mike Napoli could have been the fifth.

A catcher for the Texas Rangers in 2011, Napoli put on an absurd show against the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. He hit home runs in Games One and Four and got on base at a .464 clip while slugging .700 in his 28 plate appearances. There’s no question he would have been named World Series MVP had Nelson Cruz caught what should have been a title-clinching fly ball off the bat of David Freese in Game Six. Freese instead wound up winning the honors after the Cardinals won Game Seven.

The monster World Series that Napoli had was just the most visible reminder of a simple fact: He might be streaky, but he’s impossible to get out when he’s on one of his hot streaks.

“When he’s locked in, man, I don’t know if there’s a better hitter out there,” said Red Sox reliever Andrew Bailey, who saw Napoli across the field frequently during their years in the American League West.

The Red Sox already have seen what Napoli can do when he gets hot. He hit 13 doubles in April, and he hit six home runs while slugging .733 in September. If he’s healthy — rather than his oft-discussed hip, it’s plantar fasciitis in his foot he’s battling now — he could do for the Red Sox this October what he did for the Rangers two Octobers ago.

“He’s the type of guy that can change a game at any point, no matter how hot he is,” Bailey said. “A hot Mike Napoli can overtake a game. We’re lucky to have him on our side this go-round.”

On Twitter: @brianmacp

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